New, New, New Doctor
by cheri1
Summary: 11 Rose : After Regenerating, The 11th Doctor finally finds Rose again and tries to rekindle their relationship. FINISHED
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is 11/Rose. 11 in this story is Ioan Gruffudd. If you don't know him, He's Reed Richards in the Fantastic Four movie. He was also Horatio Hornblower, and his latest role is William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace.

Chapter One

"I don't think I can do this, Martha."

Martha looked up at the Doctor. After several failed attempts, the Doctor had finally made it across the void into Pete's world and had finally located Rose. They were standing side by side staring at her and Mickey sitting at a table outside a small café. The one woman the Doctor had tried desperately to find. The love of his life that he couldn't live without and now that he had found her; he was suddenly terrified to talk to her?

Martha took in the Doctor's appearance. About six months ago, he had died and regenerated after saving Martha from the Valeyard and he looked completely different. The unruly brown hair was gone. It was now a darker shade and slightly curly. The brown eyes had darkened also and he spoke with a welsh accent. His personality had changed too. He was not as happy-go-lucky as before. He was more serious and brooding and the darkness that she had noticed hiding beneath the clown was more pronounced now. She glanced down at his outfit. He was dressed all in black now. Gone were the suits he always favored. Now he wore a jet black long sleeved shirt, leather pants, long, leather jacket and Reeboks. The black wardrobe coupled with the dark brown hair and piercing brown eyes gave him a more sinister air that Martha frankly didn't like. With all the black, she wondered if any moment he would grab some black eye shadow and lip stick and go Goth on her.

She looked at his face and noticed the hesitation in his eyes.

"You faced down an army of Daleks, and the Master, and the Valeyard and you're scared to go over and talk to Rose?" she said in disbelief.

"I…I'm just scared she won't like me now." The Doctor said.

He pointed to Mickey.

"She's sitting with Mickey. What if they're back together? What if she's gotten over me? It's been two years since I last saw her. What if she doesn't want me back in her life now?"

He looked down at himself.

"Plus, I don't exactly look or sound like myself anymore." He added.

"You went through regeneration when you were with her, yeah?" Martha asked.

"Yes, I did."

"Well, did you look different after you regenerated?"

"Yes."

"And did you sound different?"

"Yes."

"Well, she accepted you then, didn't she? So why can't she accept you now?"

He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he stared at Rose.

"I'm just scared of what might happen if I go talk to her. What if I ask her to come with me and she says no, Martha?"

Martha shrugged.

"I don't know. But I guess there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

They watched as Mickey rose from his seat and went inside the café.

"Now's your chance." Martha prompted.

The Doctor hesitated as he debated whether or not to go over.

"I won't tell her who I am right away. I want to talk to her first. See if she still wants me." He said.

"And if she doesn't?" Martha asked.

"Then we head back to the TARDIS and go back to our reality and that will be that. At least I know for sure Rose is done with me and I can finally move on with my life." The Doctor said quietly.

Martha nodded. She gave him a reassuring smile and patted him gently on the back as he took a deep breath and headed towards Rose's table.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hello there."

Rose glanced up and saw a man standing across from her.

"I…um…was wondering if I might sit down? It's too beautiful a day to sit inside and all the tables are full." He said giving her a smile.

Rose paused for a moment as she took in the man's appearance. He didn't seem threatening. Besides, Mickey would be back in a moment with their drinks and if the man gave her any trouble, Mickey would help get rid of him.

"Sure." She said, indicating the chair in front of him.

The smile widened as the man sat down.

"I'm Rose." She said to him.

"I'm…John." He replied.

Rose stared at him. She was sure she had never met John before, but something seemed so familiar about him. Like she knew him without knowing him.

_Nah, just my imagination._ She thought to herself.

"So...um…you're Welsh, yeah?" she asked, figuring she'd start out with something simple.

"Yes, I am. I'm originally from Cardiff."

"What brings you to London?"

"I'm searching for someone."

Rose raised her eyebrow.

"Relative?"

The Doctor shook his head.

"An old girlfriend. I'm hoping to rekindle our relationship."

"Oh, well, I hope you find her."

"I did, actually."

Rose stared at John's enigmatic smile and the nagging feeling that she knew him resurfaced.

"I'm not sure if she wants me back, though." The Doctor added. "She might be with someone else now."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she isn't."

"Me too." he said giving her a pointed look.

Rose suddenly felt the need to ask.

"Um, I hate to pry, but what's her name?" she asked.

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak.

"Oi! Who's this?"

They looked up at Mickey who was standing in front of the table holding a glass in each hand and giving the Doctor a dirty look.

_Perfect bloody timing, Smith, as usual._ He thought to himself

He forced a smile onto his face.

"Hello, I'm John." He said extending his hand." I was just…"

"Leaving, yeah I know." Mickey said angrily.

"Mickey!" Rose admonished him "He's not hurting me. He wanted to sit out here and all the tables were filled up, so he asked to sit with me."

Mickey glanced around and noticed an empty table near them.

"Yeah, well, there's an empty table right there so if you don't mind…"

He paused as a black woman hurried to it and sat down. The Doctor held back his laughter as Mickey's mouth fell open.

_Thanks, Martha, I owe you one._ He thought.

He gave Mickey a look of innocence when he glared at him and sat down hard in his chair. He held his hand over his mouth trying to hide the smirk as he watched Mickey angrily pass a glass of Coke to Rose.

Mickey sipped his Coke in silence as the Doctor stared directly at him gleefully enjoying the fact that he was making him uncomfortable.

After a moment, Mickey finally slammed his glass down on the table.

"Look, buddy, would you please move? My friend and I want to talk in private.

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"Friend? So, you two aren't dating?" he asked, as hope swelled in his hearts.

Mickey's mouth dropped open.

"I don't believe that's any of your bloody business." He spat out.

He looked over at Rose.

"The nerve of this guy." He said gesturing to the Doctor.

He looked back at him.

"Why'd you sit here anyway? You flirtin' with Rose, is that it? You saw her sitting alone and decided she might be a good shag?"

"Mickey!" Rose said as she felt her face turn red.

She gave an apologetic smile to the Doctor.

"I'm so sorry. Mickey is out of line and…"

"The Hell I am!" Mickey cut in. "He's probably some pervert, Rose. Probably chats up young women all the time so he can lure them to his flat and rape them."

Rose groaned and put her head in her hand as several people looked their way.

"Mickey." She muttered. "Will you please be quiet?"

"No, I will not be quiet. I want him to leave!" Mickey said angrily.

"No."

Mickey jerked his head around and stared at the Doctor.

"What'd you say?"

"I said no." he said defiantly. "I am sitting here talking to Rose and that's all I am doing. I have no intentions of hurting her. If I did, I would have thrown her in the back of a van while you were inside the café and driven off. Now would you please calm down? You are making a scene!"

Mickey stared at him, shocked. He angrily pushed his seat back and stood up.

"I am going inside to calm down." He said to the Doctor. "I am giving you ten minutes to clear outta here and leave Rose alone. If I come back and you're still here, I will make your life a livin' Hell. You got that, buddy?"

"Yes, sir." The Doctor replied.

Mickey stared at him for a moment before stomping back indoors.

"Oh God, I am so sorry." Rose said embarrassed. "I don't know what got into him. He's just so protective of me."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I hated having him on board the TARDIS with us. It was hard to kiss you with him glaring over my shoulder."

"And he's been under a lot of stress lately." Rose went on. "And…"

She paused as John's words suddenly sunk in.

"Wait, what did you just say?" she said staring at him with wide eyes.

She stared at his warm smile and the mischievous gleam in his eyes. Suddenly, she realized why he had seemed so familiar.

"No." she breathed. "No, it can't be."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Rose, it's me."

Rose staggered out of her seat as she stared at John in disbelief.

"John…" she murmured. "John…John…Smith?"

The one and only."

He rose from his seat and enveloped her in his arms as he noticed she was on the verge of fainting. Tenderly he lowered her back into her chair and brushed her hair away from her face.

"It can't be you. It can't be." Rose murmured over and over.

"Shhhh…"

He pulled up a chair beside her and put his hand on her back.

Rose gulped down the lump in her throat as she looked over at the Doctor.

"You….you've….regenerated again." She finally got out.

"Yup."

He gave her a worried look.

"How do I look?" he asked.

Rose stared at him for a moment and then a grin spread over her face.

"Not ginger." She said.

The Doctor laughed.

"Yeah, I was ticked off when Martha told me I had brown hair again."

"Martha?"

The Doctor pointed to her.

"Martha Jones." He said as Martha waved to Rose. "I met her about a year and a half ago and she's been traveling with me ever since. I…"

He turned his head around when he heard a sob, and noticed tears streaming down Rose's face.

"Rose, what's wrong?" he asked, alarmed.

"I knew it." Rose sobbed.

The Doctor frowned.

"Knew what?"

"You forgot about me."

The Doctor's eyes widened.

"No!" he said grabbing her hands. "Martha and I aren't together. We're just friends, honestly."

He cupped her face in his hands.

"Rose, there's nothing between us." He said. "I love you and only you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have risked everything to come back here to find you."

"Then why didn't you tell me who you were?"

The Doctor looked at the ground.

"I was afraid you'd forgotten about me." He said. "I saw you with Mickey and thought you might have gotten back together with him and I was afraid if I told you who I was outright you would…reject me."

"I would never reject you, Doctor." Rose sobbed. "I love you. I told you that didn't I?"

The Doctor smiled and nodded.

"And now at last I got to say it back." He said wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I'm so sorry it took this long for you to hear it."

Rose wept as she fell into the Doctor's arms. The Doctor held her close to him glancing around at the confused looks of the people around them.

"Rose, you're getting my fabulous leather coat wet and you're scaring the straights." He said.

He grinned when he heard Rose giggle.

"Shut up, ya git." She said slapping his shoulder.

She looked up at him, hesitated for a moment and then kissed him passionately on the lips. The Doctor gave a relieved sigh as he returned the kiss eagerly.

He smiled as they broke apart.

"Judging from that, I take it you wouldn't mind it if I asked you to travel with me again?"

"Oh God, you don't know how long I've been waiting for you to say that!" Rose replied.

"And you don't mind the way I look now?"

Rose stared at him as she stroked his cheek.

"No, I can live with this." She said. "I just have to get used to ya in this new body like I did the first time you regenerated."

"Well, actually, that wasn't the first time. That was actually my ninth regeneration."

"I meant the first regeneration I actually saw, you wanker!" Rose said as the Doctor snickered.

She looked over at Martha.

"Will she mind if I come with ya?"

The Doctor looked back at her.

"Mind? I think Martha practically knows you now seeing as how I've kept going on and on about you."

"He has." Martha said. "You shoulda heard him. I hate to say I actually got sick of hearin' about how wonderful you are. You're a very lucky woman to have someone this devoted."

The Doctor looked back at her.

"So see, you can put all your fears to rest. I still want you in my life." He said. "And now that you are with me again, I can stop talking incessantly about you to Martha."

"Thank God for that." Martha said.

The Doctor grinned at her.

"Now you'll get to watch us as we make love around the TARDIS."

"Oh bloody Hell; you can leave me here then."

The Doctor giggled as Rose shook her head.

"I see you haven't changed much." She said.

"Actually, he has." Martha said. "He's stopped the whole oral fixation he had and he's calmed down a lot."

Rose looked at the Doctor.

"You have?" she said in disbelief.

"I guess so. I know I wasn't much fun to be around after I lost you. I know there were times when Martha wanted to pull her hair out but…"

He sighed.

"I just missed you so much. You became such a huge part of my life, Rose and without you I felt like a big chunk was missing."

He held her closer.

"But the moment I held you in my arms, I felt whole again." He sighed.

Rose held him tightly while he rained soft kisses on her cheek.

"Well, I guess when Mickey comes back out and sees us together; I'll have a good reason for why we're in each other's arms." Rose said.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. I have a little prank I want to play on Mickey boy."

Rose leaned up and looked at him.

"Oh God, now I'm scared."

He chuckled.

"Nah, it's nothing bad. I just want to mess with his mind. Get back at him for going off on me like that."

He looked back at Martha.

"And you, Miss Jones, are going to help us out." He said beckoning to her. "I figure if the three of us are going to be traveling together, we better get used to working as a team."

Martha walked over and leaned over his shoulder.

"Yeah?" she asked.

There was a twinkle in the Doctor's eyes as he huddled with them and quickly explained his plan.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mickey's mouth dropped open as he came back outside. The guy was still sitting at their table and now the black lady from the other table had joined them as well. Fuming, he stomped towards the table.

"I thought I told you to piss off!" he said to the Doctor.

He stared at the black lady.

"And what are you doing here? Go back to your own table!" he added.

"Mickey. Let me explain!" Rose said.

"There's nothing to explain, Rose. These two gits need to clear off and leave us alone."

"No wait, Mickey. The Doctor's here."

Mickey paused and stared at her. He looked around at the surrounding tables.

"He is? Where?" he asked.

"Right here."

Mickey looked down at the black lady.

"What?"

"It's me, Mickey. It's the Doctor." Martha said.

Mickey's eyes nearly popped out of his skull and the Doctor and Rose quickly turned their heads to hide their grins."

"No, wait, you can't be."

"I am. I regenerated again."

Mickey looked her up and down.

"But…you're a woman."

He put his hands on his hips.

"Nah, you're havin' me on. Rose told you to say this and…"

He shut up when he saw Martha pull the sonic screwdriver from her jacket and show it to him.

"Oh no, wait a moment. This…this can't be real. How can you be a woman?"

"When I regenerate, I have the option of being either sex." Martha said. "I've been a man for ten of my lives; I thought it might be fun to see what it's like being a woman for a change."

Mickey looked at the Doctor.

"Well, who's this then?"

"This is the Doctor's companion, John." Rose said. "The Doctor wasn't sure how I would take the news of her sex change, so she sent John over here to break the news to me gently and prepare me for the shock."

"Sorry if I upset you earlier." The Doctor said. "I was only following the Doctor's orders."

Mickey slumped down in the remaining empty chair and stared at Martha. He caught himself staring at her breasts and looked away, embarrassed. The three of them shared a look.

"Were you looking at my breasts, Mickey Smith?" Martha said as the Doctor and Rose fought to keep from laughing.

"Um…no, no I wasn't." Mickey stuttered.

"I think you were." Martha purred. "It's okay, Mickey. I'm not offended. I am a woman, after all."

She put her hand on his.

"And, now that I am a woman, I kinda fancy you."

Mickey leapt up from his seat and backed away as the Doctor and Rose bit their lips to keep the laughter in.

"Whoa, I'm not into that kind of thing." He said holding up his hands.

"What do you mean?" Martha asked innocently. "I'm a woman. I have all the correct female parts."

"You're an alien."

"That never stopped Rose."

"Yeah, I never thought of the Doctor as an alien." Rose said. "And actually…"

She reached over and grabbed Martha's hand.

"I still have feelings for her." She said. "I guess I've always been a little bi-curious. It just took the Doctor to make me admit it."

Mickey's eyes bulged out of his head as Rose and Martha gave each other a look of longing. The Doctor had to turn his head so Mickey wouldn't see his silent laughter.

"Oh my love, I hoped and prayed for this moment." Martha said breathlessly. "I'm so glad that my sex change won't get in the way of our love."

"I will always love you, Doctor." Rose replied. "I would love you even if you regenerated into a horse."

"Oh bloody Hell; you don't regenerate into that as well, do you?" Mickey said, shocked.

Martha paused.

"I don't know. I've never tried." She said.

She looked at Rose.

"Would you be upset if I did change into a horse, my darling?"

"No, I'm a very open minded person. I would shag you no matter what you looked like, my love."

Mickey's mouth nearly fell to the ground. He glared at the Doctor who was now bent over in hysterics.

"It's not funny, John." He said angrily.

"The Hell it isn't. It's one of the funniest things I've ever heard in all my lives." The Doctor said. "Reminds me of the reason I chose them to accompany me in the first place."

Mickey stared at him.

"Accompany you? Wait…"

He folded his arms over his chest and glared at the Doctor as the three of them bent over laughing.

"Oh bravo, my lovelies." The Doctor said to Rose and Martha. "That was outstanding. Especially the whole bit about the horse. I wouldn't have dreamed that up in a million years."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Yup, I definitely think the three of us will get along quite nicely."

"So, you're the Doctor then?" Mickey said to him.

"Yup, I am."

"For real?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

"No, Smith, I'm lying to you. I'm just an ordinary man in the street who happened to have a replica of a sonic screwdriver and I thought I'd come over to this table and mess with your mind for shits and giggles."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Still slow on the uptake, I see." He muttered.

"So, why are you here?"

The Doctor gave him a pointed look as he poked Rose repeatedly on the top of her head.

"Is that a clear enough answer for ya, Mickey boy?" he asked as he put his hand back on the table.

"So, are you gonna go with him?" Mickey asked Rose.

"What do you think?"

"You have to tell your mum."

"I know that, Mickey. I plan on telling everyone goodbye."

The Doctor looked at Martha.

"Great, you get to meet her family, Martha. Her mother has to be seen to be believed, trust me."

He gave Rose a look of innocence as she shot him a look.

"So that's where we're going next, yeah?" Martha asked.

The Doctor looked at Rose.

"Unless you have other people you want to say goodbye to?" he said to her.

"No, there's no one else. I never really became close to anyone here." She said. "I'd rather just go tell my mum about this and get it out of the way so we can go."

The Doctor grinned.

"In a hurry to get out of this universe?" he asked her.

"You better bloody believe it."

The Doctor laughed and kissed her on the cheek.

"Very well then, we'll go to your house after you finish your drinks. I can't wait to see old Jackie again. Should be fun!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"And so the next van I jumped into contained a couple of nudists."

Rose stared at the Doctor in shock as the four of them headed towards Rose's home.

"No way. They were nude?"

"Completely. Mind you, I got out of there as quick as I could." The Doctor replied.

"You never told me you saw nudists." Martha said looking back at him.

The Doctor shrugged.

"You never asked."

Martha rolled her eyes and went back to her conversation with Mickey.

"It all sounds so wonderful. I wish I could have been there with ya." Rose said wistfully.

"Me too." He said squeezing her hand.

"So then what?"

"Well, then I kept on going and…"

Martha looked back at the Doctor and Rose as he was telling her what had happened to them on New Earth. She looked at the Doctor's face and saw the huge grin he had and the twinkle in his eyes. She had never seen him look so alive. And the way he stared at Rose filled her with envy. She wished someone would look at her the way the Doctor was looking at Rose.

"Novice Haim? She survived?" Rose said to the Doctor.

"Yeah, and it turns out she had been looking after the Face of Boe as penance for the research lab."

"Oh! How was he?"

The Doctor paused and Martha saw his eyes mist over.

"He's…dead." He said quietly. "He gave his life saving New New York."

"Oh God, Doctor, I'm so sorry." Rose said, squeezing his hand.

He squeezed back.

"He told me his secret before he died just like he promised." He said.

"What was his secret?"

He looked at her.

"He said "You are not alone.""

Rose stared at him.

"What? What does that mean? More of your people? They survived?"

"Well, yes, I didn't want to believe it at first because like I told you, I would know it if they were alive. But it turns out…"

"Still likes to talk, I see."

Martha focused her attention back on Mickey.

"Yeah, well, I got used to it." She said to him.

"So, where'd he find you?"

"Um…I was an intern at a hospital and the Doctor had registered as a patient because a Plasmavore was hiding there and he was trying to find it."

"A what?"

"A Plasmavore. It's this creature that sucks blood like a vampire."

Mickey shook his head.

"I'm so glad I stopped traveling with the Doctor. I had my fill after bat creatures and clockwork men and Cybermen and Daleks."

"I saw the Daleks too. Back in 1930's New York. They were trying to mutate into human form."

Mickey's eyes widened.

"No kidding? What'd they look like."

"Um…a human body with an ugly squid head."

"Glad I missed that too."

"Tell em about the pig slaves, Martha!" the Doctor said.

Martha looked back at him and grinned.

"Pig slaves? What?" Mickey said confused.

"Well," Martha said. "The Daleks kidnapped humans and were transforming them into pig slaves so they would do their bidding and…"

"Pig slaves?" Rose asked him.

"Yeah, pig slaves. They even tried to change this guy named Lazlo into one. They almost succeeded but he got away before they could alter his mind and he ended up helping me. He was a pretty nice chap. It was a shame that he ended up with a pig face."

"Why pigs though?"

The Doctor shrugged.

"Who knows? Maybe it's how the Daleks view the human race? You're all a bunch of pigs? Other than that, I haven't the slightest idea."

"The Daleks are weird."

"You're telling me? I've been dealing with them for over 800 years. I think I found that out a long time ago." He said poking her in the ribs.

"You never change, you know that?" she said, poking him back.

"I do too change. Why you think I look different now." He said returning the poke.

Rose grinned as she smacked him on the back of the head.

"Oh, now that's goin' a bit too far, Rose Tyler." The Doctor said. "I think the proper response to that is to tickle you until you can't breathe anymore."

Rose's eyes widened and she backed away from him.

"No, you don't tickle me! You hear? Doctor, I'm warning you. I'm warning….Aaaah!"

Martha and Mickey watched as Rose ran past them followed by the Doctor.

"Get back here, Tyler, and get what's comin' to ya!" the Doctor yelled as he chased her down the sidewalk.

They stopped and watched as the Doctor seized her from behind and began to tickle her armpits furiously. Both of them fell to the sidewalk laughing hysterically as people hurried to get around them.

"Out of his bleedin' mind, he is." Mickey muttered.

Martha said nothing. She smiled as she watched the Doctor being happy and playful and thinking that coming to the alternate universe was the best idea he ever had.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Well, here we are."

Rose gestured to the modest little house she shared with her mother, Pete and her baby brother, Tony.

The Doctor groaned.

"Do we have to do this?" he asked Rose. "Can't we just stand here, scream goodbye and make a beeline for the TARDIS?"

"Doctor."

"Because Jackie had to know this day would come eventually, right?" the Doctor said grabbing her hands. "So I'm sure she's already prepared for the day you wouldn't walk through the door, so we can just blow this whole thing off and leave this universe."

"No, Doctor. I want to say goodbye properly." Rose replied.

The Doctor sighed.

"Alright, just don't expect me to be happy about it." He muttered.

She put his arm around her back as they walked up the stairs towards the door. As they reached the front door, the Doctor turned and looked at Mickey.

"Let me do the explaining." He said. "I don't want you running through the house screaming the Doctor's back and he regenerated again. I want to be the one to tell her, got it?"

Mickey nodded.

"Good."

He took a deep breath and squeezed Rose's shoulder as she opened the front door.

As they walked inside, the Doctor looked around.

"Well, Pete's done alright for himself, hasn't he?" he said.

"Mum! We're back!" Rose called out.

"I'm in the kitchen, love!" Jackie called back.

Rose looked at the Doctor.

"After you." He said.

Rose gave his hand a squeeze and led them all towards the kitchen.

"Rose, you're back early." Jackie said looking up from the cutting board. "I thought you and Mickey were gonna go see a movie and…"

Jackie paused as she noticed two strangers stepping into the kitchen alongside Rose and Mickey.

"Who are they?" she said gesturing to them. "Friends from work?"

"Um, kinda." Rose replied.

"Well, they're welcome to stay for supper, if they want."

"Actually, mum, I have something important to say to you." Rose said. "Or rather my friend here has something to say."

Jackie looked at the dark haired man that Rose was pointing to. Laying her knife down on the cutting board, she walked over to him.

"You have somethin' you wanna say to me?" she asked him.

"Yes, I do, actually." The Doctor replied.

Jackie looked at him and looked at Rose and noticed how close they were to each other.

"Let me guess. You're Rose's new boyfriend, yeah?" she said.

The Doctor paused.

"Um, old boyfriend, actually." He finally said.

Jackie was taken aback.

"What? You've been dating Rose?"

She turned to Rose.

"You've been dating this man and didn't tell me?" she asked.

"Mum, it's not like that." Rose said holding up her hands.

"I know you're an adult, Rose. But I'm still your mother and I'd still like to be kept informed of things." Jackie said.

"Mum, would you please let him explain?"

"I mean, I love you and I want to be sure the man you're dating isn't some kind of nutter."

She glanced at the Doctor.

"No offense." She said to him. "I don't mean you're crazy necessarily, but she's already been with one loony guy before you came along, and I don't want her making the same mistake again."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"Loony…guy." He said slowly.

"Ought oh." Martha muttered to herself.

"Mum." Rose said.

"I mean the man was certifiable. Dragging my poor daughter all over the place getting her into all sorts of danger; and him being irresponsible on top of it. It's a wonder Rose didn't get killed."

The Doctor gritted his teeth and mentally counted to ten.

"Mum…"

"I'm sorry, Rose. I know you loved the Doctor deeply, but things have finally calmed down and gone back to normal since he's been gone. Good riddance, I say."

Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand when he made a move towards Jackie.

"Anyway, I'm sorry; I'm just going on about Rose's ex." She said to him. "My point is I'd like to know something about you before you go running off with my little girl."

"Okay," the Doctor said. "Here's goes. My name is the Doctor. I'm a certifiable loony nutter and I'm about to kidnap your daughter, pop her in my TARDIS and take her back to her original universe. Happy?"

"Now see, that's what you should have done before you starting dating my daughter and…"

Jackie paused.

"Wait, what did you say?"

The Doctor sighed and looked at Rose.

"Does delayed reaction syndrome run in your family or something?" he asked.

He looked back at Jackie who was staring at him, dumbfounded.

"Hi, Jackie, I'm back." He said with a smirk on his face.

Jackie's eyes widened and she stumbled back against the counter.

"Wait a minute. You can't be the Doctor. You don't even look like him."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow.

Jackie looked at Rose.

"Is this some kind of alternate universe Doctor or something?" she asked her.

"No, mum, it's the original Doctor." Rose replied.

Jackie looked at him.

"But, you look different." She said.

"Yes, Jackie, I think we've established that. I also seem to recall that when I first met you, I looked different and then I changed my appearance. Remember, Jackie. It's called regeneration."

"What'd you do, go and get yourself killed again?" Jackie asked.

The Doctor put his hands on his hips.

"Well, when I woke up that fateful day; I can assure you at no point did I say to myself you know what, I'm bored with my appearance; I think I'll go find the Valeyard and have him torture me to death so I can get a whole new look."

"The Valeyard?" Rose asked him. "Who is he? And he…tortured you?"

The Doctor glanced at her.

"I'll explain later, I promise." He said gently.

Jackie looked over at Martha.

"Who's she then?"

"This is Martha Jones. She's been traveling with me for about a year and a half."

"So, you suckered some other poor girl into leavin' her family and going with you?"

"Mum." Rose said as she noticed the Doctor fighting to keep his temper under control.

"He didn't sucker me." Martha said quickly. "I saved his life and he offered me a trip in the TARDIS as a way of saying thanks."

"Yeah and somehow that one trip turned into about 200 trips. Go figure." The Doctor added.

"So you suckered her into staying with you, just like you did with Rose. You make these women fall in love with you and guilt them into staying with you so you won't be alone."

Rose grabbed the Doctor's hand when she noticed him balling them into fists.

"The Doctor didn't guilt me into anything. I wanted to go with him just as I'm sure Rose did." Martha said gesturing to Rose. "And we're nothing more than friends."

"Yes, Jackie, because if I had fallen in love with her; I never would have taken the risk of collapsing two universes to come back here and get Rose." The Doctor added.

Jackie sighed.

"And I suppose you're going to go with him." She said to Rose.

"You know I do. You know if the Doctor ever came back for me, I would go with him." She replied.

Jackie sighed and laid her hand on the counter. The Doctor noticed it was resting near the knife and wondered for a moment if she was going to pick it up and use it on him.

"And what about your family?" Jackie finally said.

"You have Pete and Tony and Mickey. I have the Doctor and Martha. I'm sorry, mum. But being stranded in this reality didn't kill my desire to be with the Doctor. It made it stronger."

"But we'll never see you again!" Jackie protested. "You'll never see Tony grow up. Don't you want to be a part of your baby brother's life?"

Rose raised her chin defiantly.

"Tony would want me to be happy, and I'm not happy here, mum. I love you, but I don't belong here. I never did. Now I know you want to blame the Doctor and say he's put all this in my head, but that's about as far from the truth as you can get. As I told you all before, I made my decision a long time ago and I'm never gonna leave him. I fell in love with the Doctor all on my own. He never manipulated me at any time. In fact, there were a couple of times when he tried to discourage a relationship, but the feelings were too strong to deny; both for him and for me."

She walked over to Jackie and grabbed her hands.

"Please, mum, I need to be with him." She pleaded. "Please let me go with him. I feel trapped here. I want to be out with him exploring the universe and having fun. He'll protect me, mum just like he's protecting Martha. Nothing will happen to me; he'll make sure of that."

Jackie looked at the Doctor.

"Will she be able to come back?" she asked.

The Doctor shook his head.

"No, I took a big risk coming across the void. I consider myself lucky that I didn't destroy both realities. I'm going back with her one more time and then I dare not risk any more trips. I'm afraid this is goodbye." He said.

"You hear that, love?" Jackie said. "If you go with the Doctor, you'll never see us again. Do you still want to do it?"

Rose nodded.

"Yes, I want to go with the Doctor." She said.

Tears came to Jackie's eyes as she embraced Rose.

"I'm gonna miss ya, my baby girl. But this is your decision and I'm not gonna stand in your way." She said. "Just know that I love you and I always will."

"I love you too, mum." Rose replied, hugging her tight.

Jackie gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek and looked over at the Doctor.

"Would you at least stay long enough for her to say goodbye to Pete and her brother?" She asked.

"Of course I will." He said.

Jackie nodded. She stepped back slightly and held onto Rose's upper arms as she stared into her eyes.

"You're such a big, brave girl." She said as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I'm so proud of you."

Rose smiled and kissed her cheek. They pulled into another embrace while the Doctor, Martha and Mickey watched quietly.

Jackie looked over Rose's shoulder at Mickey.

"You goin' as well?" she asked him.

Mickey looked at the Doctor and Martha.

"Um…I don't think they want me along." He said.

"You can come if you want, Mickey boy. I have a big enough TARDIS." The Doctor said shrugging.

Mickey looked at him and then looked over at Martha who was smiling at him.

"Um…I'm not sure. I mean, in a way, I'm glad it's over, but there were good things about it too." He said.

"Your decision." The Doctor said.

He glanced back over at Martha who winked at him.

"Um…can I think about it? 'Cause I mean if there's no way to come back, I want to be sure." He said.

The Doctor shrugged.

"Just as long as you let us know by the time we're ready to go." He said.

"I will."

He looked back over at Martha who was staring at him with a huge smile on her face.

"I have a feeling I'll be sayin' yes, though." He muttered to himself.

"Well, as long as we're waiting for Pete and your brother." The Doctor said. "Rose, would you like to accompany on a little walk so we can talk some more?"

"I'd love to."

He looked at Martha.

"You don't mind if Rose and I go by ourselves, do you?" he asked her.

"No, in fact, I think I'll just hang out with Mickey for awhile." She said.

The Doctor looked at her and looked at Mickey. He gave Rose a pointed look.

"Okay, well, let's get going, shall we?" he said as Rose giggled softly.

Rose gave Jackie a quick kiss and taking the Doctor's hand, walked towards the front door.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"So you think Mickey will come along with us?" Rose asked the Doctor as they walked along the sidewalk.

"Heh, I think if Martha has her way, he will." He said.

He leaned in.

"You see the way they were looking at each other?" he asked.

Rose giggled.

"Yeah, I think they like each other."

"Could be two sets of people havin' sex around the TARDIS then." The Doctor said. "We'll have to start making frequent stops at the pleasure planets so we can have some privacy."

"Sounds good to me." She said.

She giggled when the Doctor leered at her. Sighing contentedly, she rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.

"So all black this time, eh?" Rose asked, glancing down.

"You don't approve?"

"I like it. It's just different." She said. "Even in your 9th life, you still had a splash of color when you wore the black jacket and pants."

"Well, the past couple of years I have seen a lot of darkness in my life and when I regenerated I chose this outfit to reflect that." He said.

"Losing me?" Rose asked him.

"That was a big part of it, but there was also the death of Boe, the reappearance of the Daleks, the Master, the Valeyard…"

"The Valeyard. You were gonna explain what happened." Rose said.

She noticed the pained look on the Doctor's face.

"You don't have to." She said quickly.

"No, it's okay. I can talk about it." He replied.

He noticed a bench nearby and led her to it. He put his arm around her as they sat down.

"About six months ago, Martha and I went to this remote planet called Falfana Major. It was a mining planet that had been abandoned for years. The TARDIS had gotten a distress signal and that's why we were there. We set off looking for the source of the distress signal and soon found ourselves right in the middle of a trap."

"The Valeyard." Rose said.

The Doctor nodded.

"Who is he? Was he someone you knew before?"

"Unfortunately, yes, and he knows me quite intimately."

He looked at Rose.

"Because, he is me." He said.

Rose stared at him.

"You? This guy is you?"

"Yes, he's a future version of myself. A dark, evil, twisted version made up of the dark sides of all my incarnation's personalities."

"Evil? You're going to turn evil?" Rose said in disbelief.

"I don't know. He might be a possible future that I can avoid, or it might be my destiny. I'm not sure. Whenever I meet up with him, I try not to ask too many questions. I spend my time just trying to stay alive."

"He wants to kill you? But if he's you…"

"Why would he want to kill himself? Search me. I don't know and frankly I don't want to know. The man is a menace and I've tried to stop him, but so far he's managed to escape."

He sighed.

"This last time though, it cost me a life, and it almost cost Martha her life as well."

Rose took his hand in hers. The Doctor looked down at it, and smiled at her as he scooted nearer to her.

"Anyway, the Valeyard's flunkies captured us, and the Valeyard took my sonic screwdriver from me and threw us in a dark cell to await our fate. For about a week, he left us there; only giving us a daily ration of water to survive on. Other than that, he starved us. Or rather, he was starving Martha. He knew I didn't need to eat very much to survive, so my suffering came from watching Martha starve and not being able to do anything about it. After about a week, when we were weakened enough, we were dragged from the cell and taken to separate torture rooms. He made sure they were right next to each other so I could hear Martha's screams as they tortured her."

He paused a moment and took some time to compose himself before going on.

"Martha's torture was purely physical since, in the Valeyard's eyes, it was me he was after. She was just an afterthought to him. Another way to cause me suffering before he killed me. The torture he used on me personally was much more dark and twisted."

He paused again and took a deep breath. Rose cuddled up to him trying to give him her strength and support as she sensed what she was about to hear was going to upset them both.

"It was you, Rose. He knew how deeply I loved you and he used it to torture me and break my will and drive me insane."

Rose grabbed his hand and he held onto it in an iron grip.

"He administered some kind of drug that made me hallucinate and doubt my own eyes. The Valeyard brought in a robot of you or maybe it was my mind imagining you there. I still don't know what happened for sure and what was real and what was illusion. But what I saw was you standing before me naked and bound and with pure terror on your face. I nearly drove myself mad right then and there just trying to get out of the chair I was strapped into. Then I saw…"

He bit his lip and tears fell down his cheeks as Rose put her arm around his neck and kissed the tears away.

He let out a shudder.

"I saw him rape you, Rose. And all the time he was raping you. You were crying and begging me to help you and the Valeyard just lay there on top of you and mocked me while he did it."

"Oh God…" Rose said feeling the tears coming to her eyes.

The Doctor swallowed back the lump in his throat.

"The only reason I didn't lose my sanity then and there was because I knew I had to hang on for your sake." He said. "I didn't know what the Valeyard was capable of and if he really had found a way to cross over to this universe, snatch you and bring you back to Falfana Major. Like I said, the drug he gave me erased my ability to tell what was real and what wasn't. All I knew is that some twisted version of myself was on top of you brutally raping you and I couldn't stop it. Add to that, Martha screaming in the next room and I was nearly on the edge of insanity."

Rose felt him let go of her hand and wrap his arms around her.

"Oh my precious Rose, thank Rassilon it wasn't real. I'm so glad you didn't go through any of that." He moaned.

Rose held onto him tightly and buried her face in his chest while he rained kisses down on the top of her head.

"I don't know what I would have done if that had all been real." He said. "I think I would have gone insane and never recovered."

Rose leaned her head up and kissed the nape of his neck. The Doctor buried his face in her hair and sighed. They stayed that way for a moment and then he leaned up and laid his cheek back on her head.

"He kept the drug going…"

"Doctor, you don't have to talk." Rose said quickly.

"No, it's alright. I didn't tell Martha what happened because she was just as messed up as I was and by the time we both healed we just wanted to forget it but I've been carrying around the memory of it for six months and talking about it and finally getting it out in the open is helping me get past it."

He looked at her.

"Unless, this is disturbing to you. I don't want to dump my burdens off on you."

"No, I want to hear. You never talked to me that much about the things that you kept inside and I want to help you heal. Please go on. I'm strong enough to hear it."

The Doctor smiled.

"Yes, you are." He said proudly.

He kissed the top of her head and leaned his cheek back on it.

"Um, I was saying, he kept the drug going so I never fully recovered my senses. He kept me chained to the chair and I though you were chained up across the room. Like I said, it could have been me imagining that, but…anyway, um, for the next week or so…I couldn't tell the passage of time very well either, but in that time, he raped you repeatedly and kept the torture up with Martha. I also started to feel the effects of having no food and I began to weaken both physically and mentally. He kept the torture going pretty much round the clock since you were constantly crying and begging me to free you."

He paused for a moment.

Then…and don't ask me how because Martha wouldn't go into it, but somehow she managed to free herself and muster enough strength to come and free me. After all the torture and starvation she went through, it took all she had in her to get me back to the TARDIS so we could escape. Especially since I was howling at her to go back and free you and she was screaming back that there was no one there. So there was Martha trying to walk and drag me along as well and suddenly there was the Valeyard right in front of us. He had a laser blaster and he was going to kill Martha with it, but somehow I got enough of my sanity back that I could tell what was going on and when he fired, I flung myself in front of her and the bolt hit my stomach."

"Oh, God, Doctor." Rose murmured.

"I remember falling to my knees in pain and Martha flinging herself at the Valeyard and grabbing the blaster from him somehow and firing a shot back. It got him in the arm; I think…or was it the leg?"

He shook his head.

"Doesn't matter. Anyway, it got him somewhere on his body and he ran off down a corridor or something and that's the last thing I remember before I passed out. The next thing I knew I was awake and in a new body with Martha right beside me. I had warned her about my ability to regenerate because I didn't want a repeat of what I went through with you so she understood what had happened. At that point, the physical damage I had suffered had gone along with the effects of the drug and I managed to grab Martha and get us back to the TARDIS before the Valeyard returned. After that, it took us both several days to recover and I stayed in that suit of mine until I was strong enough to choose a different outfit. And I chose this one." He said, gesturing to his outfit. "Somehow after all I'd gone through the suits didn't seem right anymore."

"So the Valeyard is still out there?"

The Doctor nodded.

"Yes." He said.

He looked at Rose.

"Are you sure you wanna go with me again, Rose? The Valeyard is as ruthless as the Daleks. Maybe more ruthless and he will not hesitate to use you against me. Martha found that out and surprisingly she chose to stay on."

He paused.

"I think it's because that was the first time she had really been near death and us going through the same torment kinda bonded us on some level. I think it's the same thing that happens to survivors of plane crashes. Anyway, she was determined not to let that stop her and she threw every once of strength into her recovery."

He smiled at her.

"I really do think you'll get along with her, Rose. She's got amazing inner strength and she's very gutsy just like you are. I think you both will be running me ragged before too long."

He smiled when Rose giggled softly.

"I want to come with you, Doctor. I love being with you and I'm not afraid of this Valeyard. If he tries anything with me or you or Martha, I'll let loose a big can of Bad Wolf whoop ass on em."

The Doctor laughed.

"I know you will, my angel, and I'll enjoy watching every moment of it." He said, kissing her cheek.

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

The Doctor and Rose continued their walk. They talked to each other as they walked along enjoying the fact that they were together once more. As they passed by some shops, Rose suddenly tugged on the Doctor's hand.

The Doctor looked at her quizzically.

"Um…Doctor, would you mind if we played another prank on Mickey and Martha and…my mum as well."

The Doctor smiled.

"I'm always up for a prank, you know that."

"Well, I just figured since you were in a new body; you might not like that anymore."

"Rose, I know that my personality changes somewhat every time I regenerate, but some things about me will never change and I'll always love a prank."

He put his arm around her shoulder.

"What'd you have in mind, my little schemer?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Rose looked into his eyes and smiled as he saw her old Doctor reflected in them. Just as she had seen the 9th Doctor reflected in the 10th Doctor's eyes. She took comfort in that knowing that no matter what he looked like; at the core he would always be the same man. She grinned and pointed to a nearby shop.

"I want to give you a little bit of a makeover." She said. "After seeing you in these black clothes, I've had a brilliant idea."

"Oh boy, I have the feeling that I've just agreed to something I shouldn't have." The Doctor teased.

He smiled as he took Rose's hand in his and let her lead him across the street into the shop.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, everyone, we're back!"

Martha and Mickey, who were sitting side by side on the couch, looked back as Rose entered the room.

"Hey," Martha said. "Did you have a good wa…"

She paused when the Doctor came into the room after her. Her eyes bulged out of her head as she stared at him. He was wearing jet black eye shadow and lipstick and had several piercings on his face and ears.

"Hey, Martha, look at me." He said happily. "Rose convinced me that since I'm wearing black now; I should just take the plunge and go for the full Goth look. I kinda like it. What'd you think?"

Martha and Mickey stared at him in shock.

"I think you look like a nightmare." Martha finally said.

"Really? You mean I'll scare all my enemies now?"

"I mean you'll scare everybody! Not to mention the fact that it was hard enough fitting in on other planets and in other times without you looking like Count Dracula."

"Aw, come on, Martha. Be more adventurous." The Doctor said sitting down in a chair beside her. "Stand out from the crowd. Be different."

"I can be different without looking like a complete weirdo, thanks." She replied. "And if you insist on looking like that, I think I'll stay here."

The Doctor grinned at her and winked.

"Relax, Martha, it's just a joke." He said.

He gestured to Rose who was sitting beside him.

"It was Rose's idea. She took me to a shop and got some black eye shadow and lipstick and also some clip on earrings."

"So, none of those piercings are real?" Martha asked.

"Nope."

"Oh, thank God for that." Martha said putting her hand over her heart as the Doctor giggled.

"Yup, I think you'll find that Rose has the ability to talk me into a lot of things." The Doctor said, winking at Rose. "She's very persuasive."

"I guess so. I don't think I could have ever talked you into putting black makeup and piercings on your face in a million years."

"I tried to get him to put black nail polish on his fingernails, but he wouldn't go that far." Rose said.

"Nah, this was more than enough for me." The Doctor replied. "I don't need to blacken up my fingernails for one little joke."

They looked over as they heard a door open nearby.

"Rose? Is that you? I'm sorry, love, I was in the bathroom." Jackie said as she came out of the hallway into the living room. "Did you have a nice wa…"

She paused when she finally caught sight of the Doctor.

"HEY MA, I'VE GONE GOTH!" The Doctor yelled at her.

Jackie stared at him for a moment and then without another word turned on her heel and went straight into the kitchen. The Doctor giggled as Rose slapped his arm. He gave her a wicked grin.

"JACKIE!" he yelled.

He waited a moment.

"JACKIE!" he yelled again when she didn't appear.

"WHAT, DOCTOR?" Jackie said, exasperated, as she came into the living room.

"Sorry to bother you, Jackie, but I'm in the mood for some music. Do you have anything by The Cure, or The Smiths?"

Jackie turned on her heel and went back into the kitchen.

"HOW ABOUT SOME MORRISEY?" the Doctor yelled as Rose giggled.

Jackie came back out of the kitchen.

"Doctor, I don't know what the bloody Hell prompted you to fix your face like that, but you will go to the bathroom and get it off. My husband and daughter will be home any moment and I'll be damned if the first thing they see is you. Now go and take that junk off or go back to your TARDIS!"

The Doctor pouted. He rose from the chair and stomped to the bathroom as Rose bent over laughing.

"Sorry, mum, it was my idea." She said when she saw Jackie glaring at her.

"I shoulda known you'd have something to do with it. Honestly, Rose, you wouldn't know the two of you were adults sometimes by the way you act."

She shook her head.

"Supper's about ready and he better get that stuff of his face. I'm not gonna be eatin' my bangers and mash while Marilyn Manson is sittin' across from me."

"He will, mum. We just wanted to play a prank on all of you."

Jackie shook her head.

"You two were meant for each other, that's for certain." She said going back into the kitchen.

Rose giggled. She looked over at Martha.

"Sorry, I just took one look at his outfit and the idea just popped in my head." She said. "I bet the two of you had fun playing pranks on each other."

"Um…actually, we never did." Martha said. "This is a completely different side of him that I've never seen before."

"You mean he never acted silly with ya?" Rose asked.

"Well…he did, to an extent, but not by playing pranks like this. Frankly, he was unhappy a lot of the time and after what happened with us and the Valeyard; he kinda retreated into himself. This is the first time he's laughed and smiled in months."

Rose's heart ached as she remembered the Doctor's story.

"The Doctor told me what happen to you and the Doctor. I'm so sorry." She said.

Martha shook her head.

"It's alright. It's over now. All I know is after we got out of there; he became even more determined to find you. I know his torment had something to do with you, and I think he wanted to make sure you were really all right. And…I just think he needed you near him again even more than before."

She smiled.

"And I'm so glad he did. It's nice seeing being playful and goofy and not crying his eyes out or sulking in his bedroom. If you have the ability to bring that out of him then I'm glad you're coming back with us. Hopefully, we can keep it going. I heard stories about what it was like when you traveled with him and I was envious because it sounded like you had a blast. The Doctor isn't much fun to travel with when he's constantly grieving."

"Well, we'll just have to make sure he doesn't do that anymore, eh?" Rose said.

Martha nodded.

"What about me? Aren't I going to be involved with any of this?" Mickey asked.

Rose looked at him.

"You wanna come?"

"I'd like to."

He sighed.

"I've been thinking about it, Rose, and I realized that I miss traveling around and having adventures. I thought I was through with it after the Doctor left, but now that he's here; I want to see the universe."

He looked at Martha.

"'Sides, Martha and I have been talking and we have a lot in common." He added.

Rose grinned.

"So, you two..."

Martha blushed.

"Well, I think we'll get to know each other a little better and take it from there." She said.

They looked over as the Doctor walked into the living room.

"Okay, I took all of it off. I hope Jackie is satisfied now." He said pointing to his face.

"I am. You look sinister enough without the black makeup and earrings on top of it." Martha said.

"Sinister?" the Doctor said, hurt. "I'm not sinister at all. I'm a big, cuddly puppy dog, aren't I Rose."

"Yup, you're my little Doctor puppy." She said as the Doctor walked over and kissed her on the lips.

"What about that big Amoeba creature on Xapthera? When you blasted him to bits; I doubt the last words that came to his mind was the Doctor is a little, cuddly, puppy dog."

Minos was about to absorb you, as I recall, and I gave him my usual warning to back off or else. He wouldn't do it, so I killed him to save your life. He was a bad guy and I'm not a cuddly, puppy dog when the forces of evil around."

He looked at Rose.

"Rose Tyler, however, is a different story. I see her and I melt like hot butter and she knows it."

"As for my black outfit, I told both you and Rose the reasons why I chose it."

He leaned back up.

"And to tell you the truth, I think I look quite dashing in it."

"I agree." Rose said.

He smiled and leaned down to give her another long, lingering kiss on the lips.

"Oh bloody Hell, is this gonna be happening every five minutes now?" Martha said.

"Pretty much, yeah." The Doctor said coming up for air. "Now if you'll excuse me…"

He dove back in and snogged Rose like there was no tomorrow.

"Get used to it, Martha. The Doctor wasn't kidding when he said this kind of thing'll be happening frequently." Mickey said.

"Well, I'm gonna be in my room reading a lot then." Martha replied.

As the Doctor and Rose continued to snog, they heard the front door open.

"Doctor, someone's coming." Martha said. "Ix-nay on the nog-say!"

The Doctor didn't hear her. He was so distracted he didn't notice that Pete had come into the room until he said.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

The Doctor backed away from Rose and stared at Pete who was standing across from him holding his son in his arms and glaring at him.

"Who are you, and what do you think you are doing?" he said pointing at Rose.

The Doctor put his hands behind his back and smiled at him.

"Pete Tyler. How are ya?" he asked.

"Answer the question!" Pete demanded. "And answer it now, or I'm phoning the police."

"No, wait!" Rose said leaping up from her chair and standing beside the Doctor. "You don't understand!"

"I understand that some stranger was in here snogging your face off."

He noticed Martha.

"And who might you be?" he asked her.

"Calm down, Pete." Jackie said as she emerged from the kitchen.

She pointed at the Doctor.

"This is the Doctor." She said.

She pointed at Martha.

"And this is Martha; his friend."

"Doctor? Doctor who?" Pete asked, confused.

The Doctor sighed and looked at Rose.

"Here we go again." He said.

"Well, you're the one who insists on using that as a name." Rose replied.

Pete shook his head.

"Will someone please tell me in plain English what's going on here?"

He put down Tony who was struggling in his grasp. She ran to Rose, and she picked her little brother up and held her close.

"Pete, love," Jackie said walking up to him. "This is the Doctor."

Pete stared at her for a moment and then his eyes widened.

"THE Doctor?" he asked her.

Jackie nodded.

Pete stared at him.

"Wait. It can't be. It doesn't even look like him." He said. "How can he be the Doctor?"

"He regenerates." Jackie replied.

Pete looked at her.

"He does what?"

The Doctor sighed.

"Whenever I'm on the verge of death, I regenerate and get a new body. I regenerated about six months ago and this is the 11th out of 13 incarnations I will go through before I die."

"So, the last time I saw you, that was…number 10?"

"Yes, and when I first met Rose, I was in my 9th incarnation."

"So, it really is you? You're not a Doctor from this universe?"

"Nope, I finally found a way across the void, and Martha and I found Rose and we came here with her and Mickey."

"And now Mickey and I are leaving with them." Rose said. "We're going back to our universe."

Pete looked at Jackie. He let out a sigh as he walked over to the chair and sat down in it.

"Shoulda known this day would come." He muttered. "Shoulda figured you'd find some way to get back here and get her."

He looked up at the Doctor.

"And what about this universe and the other one?" he said. "You told us not to cross the void because the planet was starting to boil, and yet here you are back over the void again!"

"And that's precisely why I'm only making one trip back. I came to get Rose, and I guess Mickey is going with us as well now, and when I get back to my reality, that'll be it. I will seal the gap we came through, and there will be no more crossings ever. At least…not by me."

"So you'd risk the safety of two universes so you could come back and get your little girlfriend?" Pete said angrily.

"I was careful this time." The Doctor shot back. "I finally managed to locate a book in my library that I'd been hunting for since Rose was lost to me. It was written by my people and in it, there's a section on how to do a safe void crossing. My people used to cross the voids between universes all the time without harming anything. After I located the book, it was simply a matter of gathering the materials from various worlds and using the schematic in the book to construct the device I needed. I, at no time, put anyone from the two universes in danger. My people knew what they were doing, unlike Torchwood. I love Rose and I would do anything to see her, but I know enough to wait and make a safe crossing, Pete. Otherwise, I would have killed her, us and everyone in two universes which would have certainly defeated the purpose of seeing her again."

Pete looked at Rose.

"And what about you?" he asked her.

"What about me?"

"You have a life here now."

"No, I don't. The life I have here is empty. My real life is with the Doctor and the TARDIS. I have never had a desire to stay here permanently, Pete. You've never wanted me here anyway. I'm not your daughter."

"Yeah, well, that's your brother." Pete said pointing to Tony in her arms. "You gonna leave him behind and your mum so you can go gallivanting off again with a half crazed alien, and possibly get yourself killed?"

"Life is full of risks, Pete." Rose said angrily. "I decided long ago that risking my life was worth seeing the universe, and being with the Doctor."

She looked at him.

"The Doctor is everything I've ever wanted and I wouldn't trade him for anything in this universe or the other one. If you traveled with him, Pete, you would see what I see; what Martha and Mickey see. Riding in the TARDIS is a once in a lifetime experience and I thank God every day that he thought I was worthy enough to go with him. He is a unique, wonderful person and I'm sure he was unique even when he wasn't the last of the Time Lords."

"Technically I never was the last of the Time Lords anyway since the Master and the Valeyard survived, but never mind, just go on with your speech about how wonderful I am."

Rose shot the Doctor a look.

"You know me, Rose, everything has to be correct." He said shrugging.

He grinned and pinched Rose's cheek when she let out a sigh.

"Anyway, the point is, this is the moment I've been waiting for since you brought me to this universe and I'm not going to give up the chance to go back with the Doctor for anything. Not mum, not Tony and not you. I'm sorry, but I keep telling everyone I made my decision long ago to be with the Doctor and I'm sticking to it!"

Pete threw up his hands.

"Fine, whatever, you wanna go off and leave your family; that's your choice. I just hope your sister is young enough that she won't remember you being here because I'm not going to spend the rest of my life explaining to her that you're in another universe where she can't get to you."

He looked at Jackie.

"Is supper ready yet? Tony and I just had a nice day at the park and I think both of us are hungry now. I know I am."

"It's just about ready."

"Well, I'm gonna get changed and get some of this dirt off me."

He looked at Rose.

"When are you leaving? You planning to eat or do you just wanna run out the door now?"

The Doctor put a hand on her shoulder when he sensed Rose was about to go off on Pete.

"We can stay awhile and eat. I'm not in any hurry to leave." He said.

He smiled at Rose.

"You aren't in any hurry, are you?"

"No." Rose said as she gave Pete a pointed stare. "I had every intention of staying for supper."

She glared at Pete as he walked past them towards the bathroom.

"God, Doctor, I'm so glad you came back to get me." She muttered. "I never thought I'd say it but I'll be so glad to get away from that man."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Dinner was extremely uncomfortable for everyone. Pete and Rose kept glaring at each other across the table and everyone else stayed silent afraid that the slightest noise would spark off a confrontation. The Doctor held Rose's hand under the table as he tried to keep her calm and give her support. He knew this would be hard on everyone, but at the same time he knew he had made the right decision.

When dinner was done, Mickey and Martha volunteered to help Jackie clean up in the kitchen. Pete went into the living room with Tony and the Doctor followed Rose upstairs to her bedroom.

"God, I thought supper would never end." Rose muttered as she closed the door behind the Doctor. "Pete just gets on my nerves. I won't miss him one bit."

She let out an angry sigh as she felt the Doctor come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist.

"You won't have to worry about him for much longer." He whispered in her ear. "We're going to leave soon."

Rose shook her head and leaned back into the Doctor.

"I hate being angry at him." She said as the Doctor stroked her hair. "I mean, he's supposed to be my dad but he won't accept me as his daughter. I'm the daughter of a dead man, after all."

She walked over to her bed and sat down. The Doctor followed her and sat down behind her.

"Funny." She said. "He has no problem accepting my mum, and she's the widow of a dead man."

The Doctor said nothing. He began to massage Rose's neck and back and smiled as he felt the tension draining from her body.

"That feels good." Rose said softly.

"Plutonian body massage. I used it for years on my companions when they got stressed out."

Rose looked back at him.

"There's life on Pluto? I thought it was mostly ice."

"Now it is, but several thousand years ago Pluto had a closer orbit to the sun and there was a race of aliens there called the Spryrox. Highly intelligent beings. And very friendly. I used to take trips back every once in awhile and hang out with them. During one of my visits, one of the elders taught me this message technique."

"What happened? Why was the planet moved out of its orbit?"

"The Racnoss did it. They were trying to force the Spryrox into submission so they could use them as food, and when the Spryrox put up a fight they moved their planet further away from the sun so it would freeze up. The Spryroxians that didn't freeze or starve to death surrendered to the Rachnoss and they took the survivors on board their ships for food and basically exterminated the whole race. "

"Who are these Rachnoss?"

"Huge, ugly spider-like creatures."

"Ugh! Glad I didn't see one of those."

"Well, unfortunately I did. Well, Donna and I did, to be precise."

Rose looked at him.

"Donna? You had another companion besides Martha?" she asked.

The Doctor kissed the back of her head.

"I didn't invite Donna into the TARDIS. She got pulled into the ship right after the gap closed. Then, it turns out the Empress of the Racnoss was using her as a kind of key to wake her children sleeping at the center of the Earth. I defeated the Empress and destroyed her children and after that Donna and I parted company. Later on, I ran into her again and she travelled with me and Martha for awhile and then she left again."

"So in the two years we've been separated, you've had two different people traveling with you."

The Doctor chuckled.

Rose looked around at him.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"You're automatically assuming that only two years have passed for me. I do have a time machine, you know."

Rose frowned at him.

"Okay, well, how many years have passed for you then?" she asked.

"When I lost you, I was 901 and now I am 945." He replied.

Rose's eyes bulged out of her head.

"It's been 44 years for you?" she asked in disbelief. "That long? Martha's been with you that long?"

"No, Martha's only been with me for a year and a half." The Doctor reminded her.

"Well, how long was Donna with ya?"

"At first, she was with me for a day and then after that she travelled with me and Martha for about four months until it got to be too much for her and she went back home."

Rose turned around and faced the Doctor.

"You mean you were traveling by yourself for about 42 years?" she asked looking him in the eyes.

The Doctor shrugged.

"There are times when I travel alone for long periods. After the Time War, I was by myself for nearly 70 years before I found you."

He frowned when he noticed tears coming to Rose's eyes.

"Rose? What's wrong?" he asked.

"You were all alone for 42 years, that's what's wrong." She sobbed.

"Rose, I'm a big boy. I can handle…"

"Oh God, why did I have to be an idiot and grab that lever?" Rose moaned. "If I had just held on to that magnet thing I would have never gone into this universe and you wouldn't have been alone all those years."

The Doctor grabbed her hands.

"Rose, listen to me. My being alone was not your fault!" he said. "I made the decision to be alone because I needed time to recover from what had happened. Donna suddenly appearing in the TARDIS didn't help matters any especially since I had to go out and rescue her when what I needed was to be by myself and sort through what had happened. And that's what I did."

"You were trying to forget about me?"

"No! I wasn't trying to forget you. I could never forget you, Rose! I keep telling you that you mean the world to me. I was trying to heal myself so I could actually function. I couldn't do that for the longest time, Rose. I was an emotional basket case. You were a huge part of my life and suddenly you were ripped away from me. The shock from that almost devastated me."

He held up his hand when Rose opened her mouth.

"And I know what you're going to say, Rose. You're going to blame yourself and I won't let you. You did what you needed to do to save the world. If you hadn't done what you did the Daleks and Cybermen wouldn't have been sucked into the void and they would have taken over Earth and then the Galaxy and eventually the Universe. You sacrificed all we had to save billions and the pride I have for you is so strong, I feel like I'm gonna burst! What you did made the 44 years I spent separated from you worth it. If we had it all to do over again, I would hope to Rassilon you would make the same decision."

He cupped her face in his hands.

"You, Rose Tyler, are an amazing, incredible, fantastic, wonderful human being. You are a credit to your species and words can't describe the depth of my love for you. To put it in Earth slang; you kick ass, girlfriend!"

He paused.

"Wait, did that sound bizarre coming from me?"

Rose giggled.

"Very bizarre."

"Okay, well, I'll file that away in the never going to say again, ever, ever section of my brain then."

He smiled when Rose giggled harder.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is please don't blame yourself for what happened. Trust me, the Time War was more devastating on me which is why it took about 30 years longer to recover. Now turn around, Rose, and let me continue my massage."

Rose smiled. She kissed the Doctor on the lips and turned around. She sighed as the Doctor began to massage her back. They were silent for several minutes and then, Rose looked back at him.

"So, in all that time you were alone. Did you ever travel to any planets or have any adventures?" she asked.

"Occasionally I did, but most of the time was spent flying through the vortex."

He reached across her shoulder, grabbed her chin and made her look at him.

"And if I tell you this next part, will you promise not to flip out and start blaming yourself?" he asked. "Because if you are, I'm going to leave it at that."

"No, I want to hear. I promise I won't blame myself." She said.

The Doctor nodded.

"I did a lot of crying and a lot of screaming." He said resuming his massage. "That's one of the reasons why I didn't take a companion again right away. They wouldn't have stayed long with an angry, bitter, yelling, screaming, crying alien. The only reason I invited Martha on board was because she saved my life and I offered her one trip in the TARDIS as a thank you. But once she was in there I realized how much I missed having a friend sharing my adventures with me and I offered her another trip after that and another and another and finally I just accepted her as my new companion. But…I made it clear to her that she was in no way replacing you and she never did. I never got over you, Rose and I never will. You have a hold on my hearts and I had to come over here to retrieve them."

He kissed the top of her head.

"And now that I have my hearts back, I can get in my TARDIS with my Rose and my friends and I can get on with the business of saving the universe and looking totally devastating while doing it."

Rose giggled.

"What? I don't look totally devastating?" he said.

Rose looked back at him.

"Yeah, you do, I just missed your playful teasing. It's like music to my ears."

His grin was a mile wide.

"Well, in that case, I'll be doing lots more of it. So much, in fact, that I'll drive Smith and Jones out there buggy."

He paused.

"Smith and Jones. Heh."

Rose looked back at him.

"What?"

"Nothing, private joke." He said.

Rose rolled her eyes and smiled as he kissed her cheek and continued his massage.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

It was nearly midnight. The house was deathly quiet. Mickey had gone home and Martha was sleeping on the couch. The Doctor was sleeping with Rose in her bed. He had gone several days without sleep working on the void device and getting him and Martha over. With Rose snuggled up against him, he slipped easily into a contented sleep beside her.

As they snored softly, they were unaware when Jackie opened her bedroom door and she and Pete looked in on them.

"Are you sure you wanna let her go, Jacks?" Pete whispered to his wife. "You'll never see her again."

"I know that." Jackie whispered back. "But…look at her, Pete. Look at the two of them together. They belong with each other. I mean, today was the first time that Rose has laughed or smiled in months. I can't stand in the way of her happiness."

She edged into the room and tip toed to the bed. As Pete came up behind her, she stood by the side of the bed staring down at Rose. She smiled as she noticed the Doctor and Rose's fingers intertwined and the contented smile on the Doctor's face.

"He loves her, Pete. He wouldn't be here otherwise." She whispered to him. "He'll take care of my little Rose. He won't let anything happen to her."

"How do you know that, Jacks?" Pete whispered.

Jackie smiled.

"I just know in my heart that she'll be alright." She said.

She reached down and gently brushed a strand of Rose's hair away from her face. Rose snuffled softly in her sleep and Jackie watched as the Doctor pulled her body closer to his. She smiled when Rose let out a contented sigh and went back to dreaming.

"See." Jackie said to Pete. "Rose will be perfectly alright. 'Sides, Mickey's goin' with them and that Martha will be along as well. They'll all look after each other like a proper family."

She took Pete's hand.

"Come on; let's get out of here before they wake up. They're gonna be leavin' after breakfast and they need their rest." She said.

Pete nodded. He led Jackie out of the bedroom. She paused at the door.

"Sweet dreams, you two." She whispered, closing the door.

"Sweet dreams, Jackie." The Doctor muttered sleepily.

Smiling, he kissed Rose's head, and with a sigh fell back to sleep beside the love of his life.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Good morning." The Doctor said as he and Rose walked into the kitchen.

He smiled down at Martha.

"How was the couch?" he asked winking.

"Not bad, but I can't wait to get back to my own bed in the TARDIS." She replied.

"Ooo, that reminds me, since Rose is coming with us; she'll want her room back now.

So I'm afraid you'll have to move everything to another room."

Martha's jaw dropped. The Doctor gave her an evil grin.

"Just kidding." He said poking her shoulder.

He giggled as Martha eyed him.

"No, Rose is moving into my room. I don't have much in there and there's plenty of room for both of us." He said.

He smiled at her.

"I trust that will be okay with you." He said.

"More than alright with me." She replied.

She gave him a kiss on the lips and went to help Jackie with the breakfast while the Doctor sat down beside Martha.

"So is Mickey boy coming?"

"He is. He's saying goodbye to his grandmother and his friends before he comes over." Martha replied.

"So, is he rooming with you then?" The Doctor asked innocently.

"Nah, I think he wants his own room and frankly I would prefer it that way as well. I need my space." She said.

The Doctor shrugged. He smiled as Rose and Jackie began to put the breakfast in front of them.

"I'll eat later. Pete and I have to run down to the shop for somethin' so we'll be back shortly." Jackie replied.

They nodded. Jackie gave Rose a quick kiss on the cheek and walked out of the kitchen.

"Oh, before I forget, Rose. I have something special for you on the TARDIS that I want you to see." The Doctor said.

Martha frowned.

"You do?"

The Doctor nodded.

"It's something for Rose's eyes only though if you don't mind."

Martha shrugged.

"It's okay with me. I figured there were going to be private things between the two of you." She said.

"Well, just because I have Rose back doesn't mean I'm leaving you out of things or leaving Mickey out for that matter. It's just that some things will be between us so please don't get jealous of that."

"I won't." Martha replied. "I'm glad she's back. I love how happy you are now and besides it'll be nice to have another woman around the TARDIS that I can talk to."

"Yeah, we can talk about the Doctor and his quirks. I did that with his other companion, Sarah Jane, when we met her at this school. The two of us argued at first and tried to outdo each other and then we realized how stupid we were being and we had a laugh and started talking about all the odd things the Doctor does."

She giggled as she looked at him.

"That's what we were laughing about when you came in." she said.

The Doctor paused with a forkful of egg halfway up to his mouth.

"I see. So instead of doing what I asked, which was trying to get those processors cracked open so we could save the children, the school and the whole sodding world, you decided instead to compare notes on me."

"We didn't plan it that way. It just sort of happened."

"Uh huh, and what exactly are these "odd" things I do?" He said setting his fork down on his plate.

Rose grinned at Martha.

"Well, I'm sure you noticed that he has a habit of ramblin' on at 900 miles an hour about somethin' and when you don't get it, he looks at you like you're a retard." She said.

"Oh yeah, he does that all the time. Gets annoying, I must say." Martha replied.

"I cannot help it if you cannot keep up with my superior intelligence." The Doctor said incensed. "Most of the time when I'm "ramblin' on" I'm trying to explain something vital to you. It's your job to pay attention!"

"Did you ever walk in on him talking to the ceiling?" Martha said ignoring him.

"Yeah, he does. He talks to the TARDIS when he does that. The ship's alive, you know."

"Yeah, he said that. I didn't know he actually talked to it. I thought he was talking to an invisible version of you or something."

"No, I wasn't talking to an invisible version of Rose." The Doctor said rolling his eyes.

"He still strokes bits of the TARDIS with you? Cause he did that with me and Sarah Jane."

"Yeah, that's creepy. I have to leave the console room when he does that."

"There is nothing creepy about my stroking the TARDIS. She likes it."

"Who's this Sarah Jane, by the way? He never mentioned her. When did she travel with him?"

"God only knows."

"She traveled with me during my 3rd and 4th incarnations, does that answer your question?" the Doctor said annoyed.

"How many woman he had in that TARDIS?" Martha asked.

"Who knows? Proabably a ton of em. Probably kidnaps em all the time. For all I know, the Doctor is the pimp of the universe and he cons us into traveling with him, so we can prostitute ourselves on different planets and earn him cash."

"I do not!"

Rose leaned in towards Martha.

"Probably got a secret harem on board that TARDIS somewhere where he keeps all the woman until he needs him. Sarah Jane probably managed to escape, and he let her go so I wouldn't wise up. I'm sure as soon as we get onboard, we'll be thrown in with them."

"Yes, Rose, that's right. I came across the void to recapture you, because your big, bouncy breasts will reap an enormous profit for me on some distant planet somewhere."

"See, told ya! I have the boy figured out." Rose said, gesturing to him.

They giggled hysterically while the Doctor rolled his eyes, muttered to himself and picked his fork back up.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

After finishing their breakfast, Rose, Martha and The Doctor sat in the living room waiting for Mickey. He finally arrived and about twenty minutes later Pete and Jackie returned.

"So, I guess this is it, eh?" Jackie said putting her arms around Rose's neck.

Rose returned the hug.

"I love you, mum. I'll be careful like always."

"I know you will, love. You're my special little girl and I'm so proud of ya." She said.

"Thanks mum."

She broke off the embrace and bent down to her brother.

"I'm gonna miss ya, Tony." She said giving him a big hug.

"Wose!" Tony replied throwing his arms around her neck

Rose smiled as tears came to her eyes. She hugged her brother extra tight and gave him a huge kiss on the cheek.

"Be good and take care of mum, okay?" she said in her ear.

She gave her another tight hug before letting go. She looked over at Pete.

"I'm sorry I wasn't much of a dad to ya." He said.

"I understand. I know how awkward it must be to suddenly find yourself saddled with a daughter from another dimension." Rose replied. "I'm just grateful that you thought enough of me to cross over and save my life that day."

"As am I." the Doctor added.

"You didn't have to do that for me especially since I'm not your daughter…"

"No, you're not. But from what I can see, you're a good person and you didn't deserve to go the way of the Daleks and Cybermen. And I know now that you're gonna be alright. You have an inner strength that not too many people have. I figure you have to have it to survive traveling with him. Just like your mum said, stay safe and have fun and make the universe a better place."

"I will Pete."

"Call me dad."

Rose raised her eyebrow and a smile spread over her face. She threw her arms around Pete's neck.

"I'll miss ya, dad." She said.

"I'll miss you too, Rose. Have a great life."

"I will."

As they hugged, Jackie walked up to the Doctor.

"You keep an eye on her for me, you hear, or I'll be crossing the void myself to slap ya!"

The Doctor held up his hands.

"With that kind of a threat leveled against me, I'm not going to disobey." He said with mock fear.

Jackie chuckled. She threw her arms around the Doctor.

"Ooooh, thank you so much for coming back and gettin' her. She needs you in her life and I know you need her. Look after each other."

"We will." The Doctor said returning the hug.

Jackie broke off the embrace and cupped his face in her hands.

"And if you ever do decide to come back to this universe, make sure to drop in for a cup of tea." She said. "Just don't go changin' on me again. Seeing all these different versions of you is makin' my head spin."

She smiled when the Doctor laughed and gave him a little peck on the cheek before turning to hug Mickey.

"You behave yourself as well. And keep an eye on Rose."

"I will. Keep an eye on Gram for me. Make sure she's okay." Mickey replied.

"We will, hon." Jackie replied. "Take care."

"You too."

They broke apart.

"Well, is that everyone?" The Doctor asked.

He looked at Martha and grinned.

"You wanna give out any gushy farewells?" he asked her.

"Nah, just nice meetin' ya all." Martha replied. "Sorry the visit was so short."

Jackie smiled and hugged her.

"If the Doctor ever decides to come back, you're always welcome at our house." She said.

"Thank you. I'd be honored." Martha replied.

She finished hugging her and picked up Ariel as she stepped back to stand beside Pete.

"Well, that's it then?" the Doctor asked.

Everyone looked at each other and nodded.

"Well, what we waitin' for then? ALLONS-Y!"

Pete and Jackie turned and watched as the four of them hurried off in the direction of the TARDIS.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

(Later on that evening…)

"Finally we have the house to ourselves." Pete said as Jackie put the plates of roast and potatoes on the kitchen table.

"Well, almost to ourselves." He added, winking at Tony sitting beside him.

He mashed up some of his potatoes and fed them to Tony while Jackie sat down across from her husband. She sighed as she began to cut up her roast into bite sized pieces.

"Gonna be awfully quiet in here without Rose and Mickey around." She said wistfully.

"Yeah, but she was gonna have to leave sometime, Jacks. She's a grown woman." Pete replied.

"I know, but she'll always be my little Rose." She said. "And I'll miss her so much."

She sighed as she put her head in her hand.

"Wonder what she's doin' right now?" she mused.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Don't you dare, Doctor!"

She and Mickey were in the console room backing away from the Doctor and Martha who were following them. She stared at the cans of whipped cream in each of their hands.

"Don't you dare get that stuff on me and Mickey!" she said as the Doctor and Martha grinned and began to shake the contents of the can up.

"I told ya, Rose. After we crossed the void safely, Martha and I were gonna have to re-initiate you and Mickey into our TARDIS brotherhood. Well, we just crossed the void and you and Mickey must undergo the initiation."

Rose raised her fist.

"You feel like regeneratin' again, then you just spray that in my face!" she said.

The Doctor paused and looked at Martha.

"Feelin' lucky, Jones?" he asked.

"Extremely." She replied.

The Doctor stared at Rose with a pointed look as he advanced towards her and Mickey.

"Damn it, Doctor, you and Martha are gonna pay for this, I swear!" Rose said.

"Ready, Martha?"

"Ready!"

"I mean it, Doctor!" Rose said as menacingly as she could.

"1…"

"Doctor!"

"2…"

"I will kill you, I swear!"

"3!"

Rose and Mickey let out a string of curses as the Doctor and Martha howled with laughter and chased them around the console room. They both made for the back door and gasped when it suddenly disappeared.

DAMMIT, TARDIS! QUIT HELPING THEM!" Rose yelled as she and Mickey ran the other way.

"ON THE CONTRARY GIRL, HELP US ANY WAY YOU CAN!" the Doctor yelled as Martha and he closed the distance between them.

As they neared Rose and Mickey, the Doctor and Martha glanced at each other and with a grin put on a burst of speed and leapt onto their backs. They roared with laughter as they spray the whipped cream onto their head and in their faces. Wrestling them to the ground, they continued to spray as the TARDIS rumbled with laughter.

"DOCTOR! STOP! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" Rose yelled at him as she tried not to laugh.

The Doctor grinned and threw the can away as he stuck his fingers in her armpits. He tickled her while Mickey tried to squirm out of Martha's grasp.

'Oh yeah, feels like old times!" the Doctor said gleefully as he continued to assault Rose's armpits with his fingertips.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Rose."

Rose stirred when she heard the Doctor's voice. After cleaning herself up, she had retired to the Doctor's and now her bedroom and had fallen asleep. With bleary eyes, she looked up at the Doctor standing above her.

"Huh?" she said half asleep.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Rose, but Mickey and Martha are asleep and I wanted to show you that one thing I promised to show you."

"Oh…okay…"

Rose yawned and the Doctor helped her to her feet.

"Do I need to change?" she asked sleepily.

"No, it's alright. It's in the console room. We're not going outside." He replied.

Taking her hand, he led her to the console room while Rose finished waking up. When they had reached the console, he lowered her gently into captain's chair.

"I think you'll probably want to sit for this." He said going to the console. "I don't know how you're gonna take it."

Rose frowned, but said nothing.

The Doctor turned to her.

"Rassilon knows why I made this." He said sheepishly. "It was long before I met Martha when I was alone in the TARDIS."

He paused.

"And contrary to popular belief, I was alone. There's no hidden harem in here somewhere." He added.

He grinned when Rose let out a little giggle.

"Anyway, it was one of those nights when I was missing you and needed to get my feelings out and I guess that's why I did it." He said running his hand along the back of his curly hair. "I thought you might like to see it especially since…"

He sighed.

"I'm rambling again." He muttered. "Sorry, I'll just let you see for yourself."

He turned to push a button on the console and looked back at her.

"If this becomes too upsetting, let me know and I'll turn it off." He said.

Rose nodded her head, wondering what it was he wanted to show her.

He looked at her one more time and then pushed the button and stepped back. Rose watched as a light shot out of the side of the TARDIS and formed into a 3D holographic projection. She gasped and felt tears come to her eyes when she saw the Doctor's tenth incarnation standing before her.

"I was right about having you sit down for this, I guess." The Doctor muttered as he sat down on the captain's chair beside her.

Rose ignored him focusing all her attention instead on the hologram in front of her. She bit her lip when she could see that he had been crying.

"Rassilon, why am I doing this? I must be out of my mind." The hologram Doctor muttered to himself.

He let out a sigh and shoved his hands in his pockets as he faced what Rose figured was the camera.

"Um…I've been traveling alone now about twenty four years by my estimation." The Doctor began.

Rose put her hand over her mouth and fought back the tears as her Doctor began to stoke her back.

The hologram Doctor let out a ragged sigh.

"Twenty four years and it still feels like only yesterday that I lost her." He said in a shaky voice.

He ran his hand along the back of his hair and paced back and forth for a moment.

"I…I don't know what to do anymore." He said as he finally stopped and faced the camera. "I've tried everything I can think of to forget about her. But I just can't. Every little thing reminds me of Rose. I can't go back to the planets I visited with her because the memories are just too painful but…everywhere I go in the TARDIS, I have memories of her as well. I can't escape no matter what I do and…"

Rose gulped when she saw fresh tears fall from the hologram Doctor's eyes.

"I fear I might be losing my sanity." He said.

He began to pace again and Rose felt her Doctor wrap his arms around her.

"Are you okay?" he whispered to her. "I can turn this off if you want."

"No, please don't stop it. I want to see it." Rose replied.

The Doctor nodded and kissed her cheek.

The hologram Doctor ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a frustrated sigh.

"How long. How long till this torment stops?" he asked himself.

He put his head in his hands for a moment and then with a sigh faced the camera.

"It's impossible. There's no way to get back to her. I'll never see her again." He said.

"Heh, never say never, I guess." The Doctor whispered in her ear.

Rose smiled. It quickly fell off her face when she heard a ragged sob escape the hologram Doctor's throat.

"Oh Rassilon, Rose, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I took your hand that day and got you into this mess." He moaned.

The tears fell down Rose's cheeks as the Doctor held her tighter.

"It's all my fault you're stuck in another universe now."

"No, Doctor, don't blame yourself." Rose blurted out.

She felt her Doctor kiss her cheek and nuzzle it with his nose.

The hologram Doctor paused for a moment with his back to the camera. Rose wiped the tears from her cheeks as she waited for him to continue.

"Rose." He finally said as he turned back to the camera. "I don't know if you'll ever see this but please know that I love you with all my hearts and this is not the end, not by a long shot! I will find you again even if I have to waste the rest of my lives to do it! You are one of the best things to ever happen to me and I know even though we are not the same species, we belong together. I haven't felt this way about anyone before, not even my first wife made me feel like this, and I loved her dearly. Rose, if you can somehow hear me, please don't give up on me. Don't forget about me, Rose, because I'll never forget about you, and Rassilon willing, we will be in each other's arms again even if I have to tear apart a gap with my bare hands. I have seen many things I thought impossible in my lives and if those impossible things can happen, this can too. I just have to believe and have faith because faith is the only thing giving me a grip on reality right now."

He paused and let out a long breath.

"Now I've made myself look like a fool." He muttered. "I'm talking to a camera instead of talking to the air. I guess that's a step up in my recovery."

Rose laughed in spite of herself.

The hologram Doctor let out a sigh.

"Well, I guess I'll go to bed and try to sleep now since I haven't slept in over three weeks."

Rose felt the tears returning.

The hologram Doctor shook his head.

"Although…I know I won't get to sleep because every time I close my eyes, she's right there standing on the beach crying her eyes out."

The Doctor kissed Rose's cheek as she let out a sob.

"I…I did the same thing." She said to him.

"I figured as much." The Doctor replied softly.

He gave her a lingering kiss on the temple as Rose watched the hologram.

"Goodnight, Rose. Sleep well wherever you are." The hologram said.

He sighed.

"Hopefully one of us is getting a decent night's sleep." He muttered.

He gave the camera a sad smile.

"Goodnight, my angel. Know that I'm watching over you in your dreams and I'll be thinking of you constantly until the day we are reunited. Sweet dreams, my love."

Rose wept as she watched the hologram hit a button out of camera range and the hologram vanished. The Doctor held her from behind.

"I love you, Rose." He whispered to her. "Even when it looked hopeless, I never gave up hope that someday we might be reunited."

He kissed her.

"And I also wanted you to see it since I was addressing you during that last bit. I'm sorry if it upset you. I debated whether or not to show it to you because I knew you would cry but…"

"No, I'm glad you showed it to me. Especially since it was good to see the old you again one last time."

She smiled at him.

"I had a proper goodbye in a way and now I'm ready to move on with you in this body." She said.

The Doctor smiled.

"Ready for more adventures then?"

"Always, but first…I'm ready for more sleep."

The Doctor laughed.

"Well, that can be arranged. Want me to lay with you?"

"You have to ask?"

The Doctor chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Get some sleep, because tomorrow morning we start our adventures back up again." he said.

Rising with her, he put his hand on her back and led her out of the console room and back to her bedroom.

THE END.


End file.
